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Sophie_M Meet your community champions!
  • replies: 10

Hi everyone, We wanted to share with you the way that our wonderful Community Champions are here to support you. You may have noticed that a few of our Forums members are labelled ‘Community Champion’. Community Champions are volunteers within the Be... View more

Hi everyone, We wanted to share with you the way that our wonderful Community Champions are here to support you. You may have noticed that a few of our Forums members are labelled ‘Community Champion’. Community Champions are volunteers within the Beyond Blue Forums who: have the time, skills and empathy to support other members regularly; help to welcome new members; are actively engaged members that help set the tone of our community. Our Community Champions are regular contributors to many conversations across the forums. They are a consistent and friendly voice that have committed to sharing their experience and expertise with this community. They are not health care professionals or clinicians. Like you, they have an experience with a mental health challenge or diagnosis – either for themselves or someone they care for. This forum is for people who understand what it feels like and have a lived and living experience of mental health challenges. Our Community Champions help everyone feel comfortable and confident by demonstrating what excellent peer support is all about. Click here to find out more about how you can become a Community Champion! This incredible team are excited to introduce themselves below, and we are sure you’ll see them around the forums in conversations important to you.

Aaronsis HELP..Am I posting in the right section?
  • replies: 10

Welcome to those who are considering posting for the very first time, welcome. Thought I would repost part of the words that Chris B posted awhile ago, (2014) as I can hear that people are unsure if they are posting in the right section or worried th... View more

Welcome to those who are considering posting for the very first time, welcome. Thought I would repost part of the words that Chris B posted awhile ago, (2014) as I can hear that people are unsure if they are posting in the right section or worried that they are posting "the wrong thing". 1.A good title makes the difference Just like a headline in a newspaper, when scanning the dozens of threads to click into, it’s only natural that people will choose the ones that resonate with them most. A title that entices the reader, or asks a question, is likely to get a better result than something non-descriptive like “Depression” or “I don't know what to do”. If you think you’re not good at choosing titles, leave it till last. Spend time writing your post, then perhaps choose a sentence from what you’ve written as the title. 2.Join in threads that have already been posted We all have our own unique stories, but part of the reason for joining a forum like this one is because you know that you will have a lot in common with others who are posting. Before starting a new thread, have a look through the current topics being discussed and see if there’s a conversation you can join in with. It can be quite common to have a handful of very similar threads happening at any one time, with members seemingly unaware that there are others right there who are going through the same thing. Talking to other members on their threads is a great way of getting yourself known so that when you post a thread of your own, people may respond quicker because they recognize your name. 3.Choose the most appropriate section for your post Many people browse the forums looking for stories specifically to do with pregnancy and parenting, employment, grief, loss, separation etc. Going straight for the “Depression” section may seem like the easiest option, but this section is often the busiest, so your post is more likely to get lost among the threads. Making good use of the different forum sections not only helps keep the forum relevant, but you’re more likely to find others who are going through the same experiences as you. Also, if you're wanting to discuss issues of trauma, abuse, suicidal thoughts or self-harm, it's really important you post in the designated section to avoid triggering others who may not wish to read about these topics. Mostly..just come and chat, we are here for you. Our amazing wizards in the background will see your message ends up in the right spot. Sarah

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Gerryo New here and lonely
  • replies: 1

I live alone in a rural area. Being an older male it is hard to make friends when by oneself. Also I have been diagnosed with cancer and my prognosis is rated as poor. I spend a lot of time at hospital (300kim away) which involves a lot of driving. I... View more

I live alone in a rural area. Being an older male it is hard to make friends when by oneself. Also I have been diagnosed with cancer and my prognosis is rated as poor. I spend a lot of time at hospital (300kim away) which involves a lot of driving. I do not have a carer or anyone to help me. I am posting really to put myself in the picture of where I am at - to put into words what I feel and what is going on in my mind. I often wake up during the night and my mind seems to race around going over my health issues. I do try and be positive but find it hard to get off my backside to do things that interest me, but once I do I get satisfaction from doing whatever it was. I guess my biggest fear is of dying. I do not feel ready yet but there is nothing I can do except to try and get the best I can out of each day. I have read some other's problems and know that my anxiety is small compared to the problems that some have. ok , that's it for my whinge - sorry not to sound happier but wish I could put feelings into words better. Gerry

Evie79 Hi all!!!! First timer here 😀
  • replies: 24

Hi all my name is Evie, i have been suffering from anxiety and depression on and off for many years now, I am a mother of two and been married for nearly 16 yrs. I am hoping I can get advise from fellow sufferers and just to have general chit chat wi... View more

Hi all my name is Evie, i have been suffering from anxiety and depression on and off for many years now, I am a mother of two and been married for nearly 16 yrs. I am hoping I can get advise from fellow sufferers and just to have general chit chat with people dealing with the same illness. Looking forward to hearing from you

Foxile Introduction
  • replies: 14

Hi, I'm a 54 year old male and I've suffered depression on and off since I was a teenage. For most of that time I was self medicating, primarily with ever increasing quantities of alcohol. During the early years I just thought it was typical teenage ... View more

Hi, I'm a 54 year old male and I've suffered depression on and off since I was a teenage. For most of that time I was self medicating, primarily with ever increasing quantities of alcohol. During the early years I just thought it was typical teenage angst and then early 20's blues. I still managed to achieve things, a 2hour 43 min marathon, a good degree, masters degree, etc. I was first treated for depression in my early 30s, but thought then that it was just due to heavy work load and struggling to pay my mortgage - beer and wine seemed to do the trick. However, even when I moved from England to Hong Kong and started to make good money, the black dog was still there. Mental illness carries a major stigma in China and my girlfriend/wife is Chinese so the depression wasn't talked about and I continued to self medicate for many years, including after moving to Australia in 2009. Eventually, I started to look for help again and in 2013 I hit my rock bottom and started my journey of recovery. I have not had a drink since entering detox on 17 October 2013, but the depression is still there. I lost my job whilst in a rehab because I had been absent from work for more than 3 months. Fortunately I had salary insurance, which has allowed me to focus on recovery whilst still making the mortgage payments. I also learnt that I need both hips replacing - stopping drinking revealed constant pain! Since the surgery, which was completed in July 2014, I have completed a Cert IV in Mental Health/Drug & Alcohol studies, and I am currently studying for a Cert III in Fitness. Following this, I intend to do a Cert IV in Fitness then a Diploma in D&A Studies. I hope to work in a rehab and use fitness training to facilitate recovery. Last weekend I completed the CBR100km Challenge in 27 hours 26 mins, to raise money for Beyond Blue - sadly my depression means that I feel no sense of achievement or elation. I am also a Director of the ACT Mental Health Consumer Network and a mental health consumer representative on 2 ACT Health committees. I am also a consumer representative on the ACT Not For Profit drug & alcohol service, DIRECTIONS, Consumer Advice Group. I have started a group called New Direction, to help persons with lived experience of mental health and/or drug and alcohol issues get involved in exercise and facilitate their recovery. I look forward to being involved in these forums and working with Beyond Blue to advocate for us all.

Jes247 This is very scary
  • replies: 6

The way that I am scares me and makes me miserable but actually posting on a public forum thingy is possibly even more scary! I have never posted to any kind of forum, & to be honest I don't even really understand how this all works.. Sorry if that s... View more

The way that I am scares me and makes me miserable but actually posting on a public forum thingy is possibly even more scary! I have never posted to any kind of forum, & to be honest I don't even really understand how this all works.. Sorry if that sounds stupid. I am just sick of feeling miserable & I get even more down not having any support or any1 to talk to it couldn't get any worse or scarier. Even though I feel embarrassed I feel even more lonely so really what have I got 2 lose. I don't know how these forums sites whatever actually work but it would just be nice to have someone to talk with that i can relate to. Trying to describe or explain my anxiety & depression or even mild ocd to my partner or any1 else just makes me want to punch myself in the face n I end up giving up mid conversation it's just so frustrating & I just end up upset & feeling like a crazy person embarrassed & wondering why I even bother. I am just at the stage where I just wana give up. I am so tired & I feel exhausted, does anyone understand any of this? I never feel like I make sense.

frankie96 Hi Everyone I'm New!
  • replies: 5

Hi all, I'm a new member and not too sure how to do this but here it is I'm 20 years old and suffer from severe anxiety, depression and panic attacks. I've been seeing a psychologist for about 5 months now after struggling with this illness for the p... View more

Hi all, I'm a new member and not too sure how to do this but here it is I'm 20 years old and suffer from severe anxiety, depression and panic attacks. I've been seeing a psychologist for about 5 months now after struggling with this illness for the past 4 years. I was and still am very embarrassed about how hard I find simple things like walking to the grocery store, meeting up with friends etc. and have only just begun talking to my family about it, though my parents are still finding it hard to understand which I though would happen - I still find it hard! But I am nervous to try and explain to them about how bad it is - they don't know I don't leave the house for days at a time in fear of having a panic attacks, or deferred from uni because of having panic attacks just thinking about going. My psychologist suggested I go see my GP about medication options for anxiety and I think it would help but I'm nervous of what the possible side effects could be and how to tell my family about it! I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of ideas? I'm really glad I found this page and am able to talk about this finally with others who suffer from the same thing and not feel so alone!

earthsista Hi there, newbie!
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, So happy to be here! My name is Lisa and live in Western Sydney. I'm 30 years old and suffer from depression and severe anxiety. It's not much fun at the moment as I study full time (studying Bachelor of Health Science in Nutritional Med... View more

Hi everyone, So happy to be here! My name is Lisa and live in Western Sydney. I'm 30 years old and suffer from depression and severe anxiety. It's not much fun at the moment as I study full time (studying Bachelor of Health Science in Nutritional Medicine) and work casually on the side. The last 12 weeks have been the worst unfortunately, especially as I'm burning out from college and had to drop a subject as well as losing my friend this week to brain cancer. I've been seeing a psychologist since last October and talk to my mother about my problems (I live with her also so she see me at my best and my worrrst lol), but thought it was about time I had a forum I could go to talk to fellow depression and anxiety sufferers. Hope to talk to you all soon x Lisa

Marcsa Tell me About My Threads
  • replies: 1

Hi, Not sure who to ask.... is there anyway I can remove Topics from My Threads ? Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm just doing it wrong. Should I just delete BB Forums from my Favorites ? It would be pointless to come back under another pseudonym. Maybe ... View more

Hi, Not sure who to ask.... is there anyway I can remove Topics from My Threads ? Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm just doing it wrong. Should I just delete BB Forums from my Favorites ? It would be pointless to come back under another pseudonym. Maybe I just have computer problems in which case a computer technician would be of use ?

Ash77 New here and totally alone..
  • replies: 6

This post could offend some segements of the community, so if you are a parent that is struggling at the moment, this might not be the post for you read- I'll try not be horrid though. OK. There is hardly no support for me. I am a woman who can't hav... View more

This post could offend some segements of the community, so if you are a parent that is struggling at the moment, this might not be the post for you read- I'll try not be horrid though. OK. There is hardly no support for me. I am a woman who can't have children. Even when I hop on to a site like this, there are no groups, tips or anything for me. WHY? The only groups who deal with infertility (and its consequences which do leave a mark on the majority of people) are on IVF websites- and when youve come to the end of your journey with IVF, those places arent the place for you anymore. Our society in this country is so motherhood oreintated, it is such a difficult place to not be a mother- the judgement, the loneliness (because parents are uncomfortable) and the grief of seeing your dreams shattered (not to mention the financial and relationship strains on you and your partner). Where can I get help from people that actually understand???

Magpie62 Touching base intro
  • replies: 2

Just touching base as it's taken a long time to summon the courage to introduce myself. My journey through this haze now with hindsight has been the status quo since childhood of course now there is a name to make sense for this turmoil! The big 'D'.... View more

Just touching base as it's taken a long time to summon the courage to introduce myself. My journey through this haze now with hindsight has been the status quo since childhood of course now there is a name to make sense for this turmoil! The big 'D'. For me my crash had been building for a lifetime. I'm 54 grew up in Australia was married with 3 children living in Northern Europe for 28yrs, had worked hard and achieved recognition in my chosen occupation. Beautiful family, house on the face of it all perfect. However my feelings didn't reflect this reality. Always felt distant from everything. I became increasingly withdrawn, resentful etc. A constant inner turmoil the only respite being alcohol or when I was travelling on business and could be by myself and feel the pressure off. So suppressing all these feelings and focusing on results allowed me to achieve a great deal. However at the expense of my family and it breaks my heart how their experience must have been. Four years ago I had the crash. It destroyed life as I knew it. Unable to work let alone function I did manag e to get help. It was hard for my family and even harder for me. I left the family home after 6months to escape the northern winter and came back to australia just to be under a cobalt blue sky and feel the heat of the sun in my bones. It was the only way I knew to get myself together again. Leaving was devastating even though I was at rock bottom. It's been a long journey so far and I was foolish to think I was going to sort it out myself. Since then have built a great support network good GP who diagnosed correctly Pyrolle Disorder which has helped immensely correcting a chemical imbalance. My counsellor is a rock. It's been insightful and a relief to read others experiences and journey. And has given me solace in that my experiences are no different to others. As time rolls on the pain lessens, the guilt and feeling of letting down my family is always there. working towards finding inner peace. thanks pete

LanaKane New, hx of depression and not really sure what's going on with me
  • replies: 5

Hey guys, I didn't know this forum existed until today so I'll give it a go. I feel guilty turning to strangers for support when I do have wonderful support in real life but I also feel guilty putting my problems on people. I'm so unhappy lately, I'm... View more

Hey guys, I didn't know this forum existed until today so I'll give it a go. I feel guilty turning to strangers for support when I do have wonderful support in real life but I also feel guilty putting my problems on people. I'm so unhappy lately, I'm really hoping that coming here will help . BB is an amazing organisation that I have huge respect for. Hopefully when I figure out what's wrong I'll post for support soon. So yeah....hi!